Former Obama Campaign Manager To Lead Uber’s Political Crusade

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After taking Obama to the White House in 2008, David Plouffe will lead Uber‘s campaign to bring its driving services to new cities.

Uber hired Obama’s former adviser and campaign manager to direct the company’s global policy and political activities, communications and branding efforts. The company has reportedly been looking to hire a top political strategist since earlier this summer as it aggressively challenges local regulations and the taxi industry in multiple cities.

“Over the years, what I’ve come to realize is that this controversy exists because we are in the middle of a political campaign and it turns out the candidate is Uber,” wrote founder Travis Kalanick in a blog. “Our opponent – the Big Taxi cartel – has used decades of political contributions and influence to restrict competition, reduce choice for consumers, and put a stranglehold on economic opportunity for its drivers.”

“We’re on an inexorable path of progress here,” Plouffe said in an interview with the New York Times. “Uber is making transportation safer. It’s providing jobs; it’s cutting down on drunk and distracted driving. I think the mission is really important.”

Plouffe was not the only top political strategist considered for the new position. In July, Re/code’s Kara Swisher reported Uber was in talks former White House press secretary Jay Carney and Howard Wolfson, who served as a strategist to New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Hillary Clinton during the 2008 campaign.

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Crunchbase

OverviewUber, a [San Francisco](/location/san-francisco/528f5e3c90d111115d1c2e4ff979d58e)-based technology startup, is innovating at the intersection of lifestyle and logistics. Uber connects riders with safe, reliable, convenient transportation providers at a variety of price-points in cities around the world.